- By Samantha Huffman, Staff Writer -
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reads as follows: A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The Second Amendment is currently one of the most debated topics, because of all of the shootings that have happened..
Concealed carrying is when a firearm can not be seen to the average observer. A current citizen of North Carolina has the right to obtain a carry concealed permit at any time if they follow proper procedures including but not limited to taking a safety course offered by a licensed instructor, passing a thorough background check, and submitting to a screening of their mental health records.
In January of 2017, North Carolina Republican Representative Richard Hudson sponsored H.R. 38 also known as the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017. This piece of legislation pushes for all states to recognize carry concealed permits given in a different state. Of the many arguments surrounding this piece of legislation, some take the stand that H.R. 38 is dangerous because some states do not require a safety class to be given this permit, and some are worried about the possibility of more violence. Arguments from the other side state that the bill contains the basic safety measures such as still requiring a federal background check in order to purchase a firearm and maintaining current laws regarding allowance to carry in certain areas. This piece of legislation is being presented at a national level and is backed by the National Rifle Association.
The most recent piece of concealed carry legislation in North Carolina is House Bill 746 that passed in the House in June of 2017 and has been sent to the state senate. According to North Carolina General Assembly records, this piece of legislation would make carry concealed permits obsolete by allowing people to conceal weapons anywhere that allows open carry. These changes are made in hopes to protect the average law-abiding citizen if they happen to put a coat on over their firearm. This piece of legislation was also presented as a means to drop the concealed carry age from 21 to 18. This is being backed by the gun-rights Grass Roots N.C. as well as the National Rifle Association.